A partnership between casino operator Bally’s Corp. and the National Hockey League could eventually beam the gaming company’s sports wagering information and products into the television broadcasts of games in the league’s largest markets.
The agreement, announced Thursday, allows Bally’s to create content for NHL fans that could be integrated into game coverage on 19 regional sports networks operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which are being rebranded with the Bally’s name.
Bally’s, which is expected to launch sports betting later this year after acquiring Bet.Works for $125 million, secured the rights to use NHL marks and logos as well as the use of the league’s official data.
The deal is the first sports betting partnership for Bally’s with a professional sports league.
Bally’s CEO George Papanier said the agreement “represents an important milestone in our strategy to become a leader in the online sports betting and iGaming space.”
Sinclair’s regional networks provide the television broadcasts for nearly a dozen NHL teams, including the last two Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the St. Louis Blues.
Rhode Island-based Bally’s currently operates 11 casinos in seven states and has acquisitions pending that will add four more casinos in three new states to the company’s portfolio.
The ultimate goal of the partnership between Bally’s and Sinclair is to offer sports viewers the ability to wager on games with Bally’s directly from their televisions in markets where the activity is legal.
The NHL has been one of the more progressive sports leagues in embracing legal sports betting over the past three years. Numerous teams have sports betting partners while the league has partnered with the American Gaming Association to bring a responsible gaming message directly to fans through an extensive public service campaign inside the arenas.
Last month, the NHL signed a deal with an Eastern European sports betting company covering the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
“With its Sinclair Broadcast Group partnership combined with a strong strategic vision for its portfolio of sports betting products, Bally’s is an ideal partner for the NHL to further engage our avid fan base on a national and local level,” said NHL Chief Business Officer Keith Wachtel.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgmaing.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
